Date: 1975 Subject: Békeffy Jenő, Arie Haan Clubs: RSC Anderlecht, RWDM, AFC Ajax
“Haan wants to get back to the top.”
“Arie Haan is a remarkable bird in the world of football. He can become extremely worked up over things that hardly affect other players, or he is capable of reacting in a completely different way. Haan (26), for example, called Ajax a ‘duck’ during the meeting in Brussels. Sometimes Haan bursts out, yet he is once again the serious professional who, in Anderlecht’s jersey, can view football from a distance.
A strange Haan: ‘Two weeks ago in Brussels there was an offer from Valencia. Agent Bekeffy told me about it. I could have imagined a transfer. Money is tempting. I am not happy at Anderlecht. My position on the field is number one for me. But the fact that you can still earn more than 300,000 guilders here as a footballer… Valencia was simply too far for me. I didn’t feel like leaving.’”
Arend “Arie” Haan [born 16 November 1948 in Netherlands] is a Dutch footballer and coach, who scored 6 goals in 35 matches for the Dutch national squad of the 1970s. At club level he enjoyed a successful career with AFC Ajax, RSC Anderlecht, Standard Liége and PSV Eindhoven. He participated seven times in European Cup finals with five victories and two defeats. He was also known for his goals from long distance.
Haan joined AFC Ajax in 1969 and was a member of Ajax that won the European Cup for three consecutive years, from 1971 until 1973, the Intercontinental Cup in 1972 and two Eu European Super Cups European Super Cups, in 1972 and 1973. Also with Ajax, he won three Eredivisie titles in 1969-70, 1971-72 and 1972-73 and the Dutch Cup from 1970 until 1972. In 1970, his team won the Double and in 1972, the Treble.
He joined Belgian club RSC Anderlecht in 1975 and was a member of the club’s greatest ever successful period, when they won two European Cup Winners’Cups in 1976 and 1978. Those two seasons, he won two more European Super Cups [the previous two were with Ajax]. The club again reached the final of that Cup Winners’ Cup in 1977 too, but they were beaten by Hamburger SV. Also with Anderlecht he won the Belgian Cup in 1975–76 and the Belgian Championship in 1980–81.
After winning the championship with Anderlecht, he played for Standard Liège for two seasons, when the club won two championships. also the Belgian Supercup in 1981. In 1982, the club achieved its greatest success, when they reached their first [and to date the only] Cup Winners’ Cup final, when they were beaten at Camp Nou by FC Barcelona. That year they also won the only double in their history. Returning to his country in 1983, he played one season for PSV. Haan finished his career for Hong Kong champions Seiko SA.
He has 35 matches with his national team, scoring 6 goals. His most famous was a 40-yard strike in the Netherlands’ match against Italy in the second group stage of the 1978 FIFA World Cup. His goal in the game against West Germany, ended 2–2, helped the Dutch national team reach the final, where they were beaten by Argentina 3–1 in extra time. He also participated in the 1974 FIFA World Cup when Netherlands were beaten in the final by West Germany 2–1.
